Out of the Blue
by michellephoenix275
Summary: Gray can't stand to hurt Juvia anymore, so he accepts a job with her. But, while it saves her from more pain, it may just be more than he can handle. (spin-off from Iron Lace) Will contain adult themes.
1. Denial

**Out of the Blue | Chapter One | ****Denial**

* * *

"Sure." Gray froze as the word fell from his lips. It was like one of Levy's solid-script sculptures, like ice, falling. And when it hit the ground, it shattered, and a hush fell over the guild hall. Juvia continued talking for a heartbeat before screeching to a halt and staring at him wide-eyed. _Everyone_ was staring at him wide-eyed.

"Wh-what?" Juvia squeaked out.

"Sure," he repeated, shoving himself upright off the bar. "I'll go on this job with you. Why not?" He shoved his hands in his pockets, ignoring the itch traveling over his skin. This was not the moment to strip off his cloths. "This is the one in Cross Station, right?"

"Oh, um, y-yeah," she answered. Her eyes were sparkling and hopeful. She puled the flyer out of her pocket and read it off. "Fifty thousand Jewel to anyone who can get rid of a monster that has been harassing a farming village just outside of Cross Station." She looked back up at him, and her smile was cemented back in place. "There isn't much information about the monster, but I'm certain that with my darling Gray by my side, we can defeat whatever stands in front of us."

He gave her a confused look. "You were going to take this job alone? Kind of dangerous, don't you think?"

She shrugged. Around them, the guild was getting back into the swing of its normal chaos; though, he could still feel eyes on him. "Juvia usually goes with Gajeel or Cana, but they both left for jobs this morning. Juvia needs the money for rent this month. Besides, Juvia can take care of herself."

Gray turned away so she wouldn't see the concern in his eyes. "When are we leaving?"

The creature is hurting people, so as soon as possible."

He took the flyer from her. Go pack and get ready. I'll meet you at the train station in an hour." As Juvia skipped happily out the door, Gray turned to Mirajane, who was already pulling out the mission register. "Here." He shoved the flyer across the bar.

"Of course," she said sweetly. "Oh, and Gray?" There was a smile on her face, and her voice was sickly sweet, but there was a warning in her words, and a threat in her eyes. "Be careful. I would hate for anything or anyone to hurt Juvia…or you."

He met her gaze and swallowed heavily. "Of course, Mira. I'll keep an eye on her." Erza looked up from her cake to match Mira's look, and he remembered her warning all those years ago, and he nodded to her before heading home to grab his things.

* * *

Juvia sat across from him on the train, filling the next three hours with her endless babble, while he stared out the window.

Why was he even there? Why had he agreed to this? He had said no every other time she'd asked in the five or six years—well, twelve or thirteen years, if you count the seven years they were frozen in time—that she'd been trailing after him like a puppy. But he had also seen the look of hurt every time he shot her down. And for the last two weeks, she had been moping just out of direct line of his sight, and she hadn't said two words to him until coming up and asking him to come with her as backup on this ob.

And he'd realized something in the last two weeks—he missed her; he liked her following him around. The sound of her voice had been in the background of nearly every happy moment he'd had since she joined the guild. He knew if he shot her down again, she might not talk to him again, and he would never forgive himself for crushing her like that.

"Why?" He asked amid the stream of words.

She stuttered to a halt. "Why, what?" Juvia asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Just now; you said that you didn't really want to travel all the way to Lamia Scale, and then all the way back out to Cross Station…why would you have?"

"Because Juvia's friends Lyon and Sherry—wait, you were actually listening?" She looked taken aback.

Gray narrowed his eyes curiously. "I've always listened to you."

"Oh." Was all she said.

Gray broke the long silence. "So…Lamia Scale?"

"Right…um…yes, my d-Gray. See, some of the jobs Juvia takes are too dangerous to complete alone. Usually Gajeel, Levy, or Cana will go with me, but sometimes Lyon and Sherry will come, with permission from Master Makarov and Master Ooba, of course."

"You really go to all that trouble?" He stopped his next words before he could speak them: _"You could have asked me." _Because she did ask him. Repeatedly.

"Well…Juvia doesn't really have a team," she said quietly, looking down at her lap. "Besides, Lyon is a dear friend; he is enjoyable company on boring missions.

Gray fell into silence as he felt a familiar surge of jealousy, and he stamped it out. She could enjoy Lyon's company all she wanted; it wasn't as though he loved her. It was just because Lyon was a rival of his. "I didn't know," he said at last. "Why do you take on so many jobs, anyway?"

"Juvia needs the money." Gray gave her a questioning look. "Juvia is still catching up from our gap years."

Gay's jaw dropped. "You still have debt from then? You make at least 30 – 40,000 Jewel every couple of weeks!"

Juvia's shoulders slumped, and she sighed. "I had just moved out of Fairy Hills. Juvia's landlord held my things, and my house, but he charged a lot of interest for seven years. It's everything I can do just to pay rent."

"Juvia, that's not okay." She shrugged, and his jaw line hardened. He decided he should have a chat with her landlord when they returned from this mission. When he didn't continue speaking, Juvia wasn't sure what to say. Gray looked like he was angry. So, they stayed quiet, staring out the window of the train.

About an hour later, the train stopped at Hargeon station, letting several people on. The train car was fairly empty, with many open seats, but, for some reason a man chose to sit next to Juvia. Preoccupied trying to figure out why Gray would be angry with her, she didn't notice. Gray, however, did.

The man was tall and objectively handsome, with close-cropped golden hair and green eyes, and he wore a nice suit. But what caught Gray's eyes was how the man was looking at Juvia, like she was a dessert served up on a tray.

"Hey there," he said. Juvia either didn't hear him or was ignoring him. After a moment, the stranger frowned and reached over, grabbing he forearm. "Come on, now," he said again.

Juvia instantly recoiled from his touch, her head whipping around to look at him with wide eyes. She hid it quickly, but Gray saw the flash of fear in her eyes.

"Back off," Gray warned in a clear low voice.

The man rolled his eyes. "Mind your own business, pal. I was talking to the lady." Juvia, having collected herself, was looking at him warily. "What's a pretty thing like you doing in a shithole like Hargeon."

"Just passing through," she answered. "Do I know you?"

He smiled wide at her, and Gray's frown deepened. "You might have seen me…in your dreams."

As he leaned closer, Juvia pushed back closer to the wall of the train. "Juvia does not know you." Her voice broke, and her eyes darted to Gray's pleading.

Gray realized in that moment just how scared she was of this man, and of the sudden contact, as though someone had hurt her in the past. That thought enraged him, and he stood, glaring down. "You're making my partner nervous. I think you should leave us alone."

The stranger squinted at Gray. "Partner? You some kind of cops or something?"

"Or something," Gray answered. "Now, I think it's clear that she doesn't want to talk to you. Maybe you should go."

The man acted like he would argue for a minute, then smiled and got up, shrugging as he moved to sit a few rows over. "Your loss, sweetheart."

Juvia sighed, relaxing again once he was gone. "Thank you."

"Don't worry about it," Gray said as he sat back down, still angry.  
That guy was a creep. "They fell back into a comfortable silence, and, before long, Gray drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_Wake up._

Gray shifted in his sleep.

_Wake up, wizard._

Gray groaned and rolled over, only to slip out of his seat and fall onto the floor. He was awake I an instant, the hair on the back of his neck standing up, but he did not see the source of the deep growling voice that had awoken him. What he did see was the empty seat across from him.

"Juvia?" He called.

The car attendant looked up. "If you're looking for your blue-haired friend, I believe she went to the café car."

"Thanks," Gray did not relax, though. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. So, instead of returning to his seat, he moved in the direction the attendant pointed. There was a cargo storage car packed with luggage between them and the café car, and as he walked through the dimly-lit area, he paused. It had been slight, but there as a familiar smell. Salt-water and lilies. He turned his head and saw a shadow move on the wall. He moved towards it. Turning a corner around a stack of fruit crates, he was just in time to see a figure dragging and unconscious Juvia between the luggage, and his vision went white.

He let out a cry and lunged, his fist striking the figure across the jaw and knocking them into a tower of books. The tomes crashed down around them as they yelled in pain, and Gray shot out an ice shield to keep them from hitting Juvia. At the sounds, he heard shouts and footsteps, and a door being thrown open, but he didn't care. He knelt next to his partner and pressed two fingers to her throat. Her pulse was strong, and at the chill of his touch, she groaned and shifted towards him, her eyes fluttering.  
"Gray?" She asked groggily. "What's going on?"

Gray sighed in relief. Then, his head slowly turned to pierce her assailant with a blood-thirsty gaze. He wasn't shocked to see it was the man who had been pestering them earlier. He was sprawled under the pile of books, eyes closed, with blood trickling out of his mouth, the jaw crooked and obviously broken. Juvia followed his gaze and whimpered, and Gray instinctively wrapped her in his arms, pulling her into his lap. She gripped his shirt in surprise, then relaxed again, pressing her face into his chest. A few seconds later one of the train's guards stepped around the corner and jerked to a stop. "What the –"

"this man attached my partner," Gray said in an icy voice. "You should probably arrest him before I do more than break his jaw."

The guard gave him an incredulous look. "Right," She said, taking out handcuffs. "I'l get right on that. You should probably get back to your seats."

Gray rubbed Juvia's back then stood with her still his his arms. She squeaked in shock and clenched her fingers harder in his shirt. "Juvia is fine, Gray. I can walk."

Gray ignored her. For some reason, he didn't want to hput her down. His nerves were on fire, and there was a deep-set rage that he hadn't felt in a long time. And, somehow, she was calming those feelings. He sat her down in the window seat he had been occupying, then sat next to her, creating a barrier so that no one else could do what that man had.

Juvia gave Gray a bewildered look as he sat so close to her, their shoulders brushing. He was being so protective, and he kept calling her his 'partner,' so easily, like it was completely natural. She was still shaking from waking up to…what she had. How had he known to be there? Had he been looking for her?

"Are you ok?" He asked, breaking through her mental storm. His dark eyes were on her and filled with concern and anger.

"I-I'm fine," she stuttered. "My head kind of hurts."

His brow furrowed. "The asshole probably drugged you." He glared towards the other car as though contemplating finishing what he started. She placed a hand on his arm and almost shivered as his eternal chill seeped into her. His eyes softened instantly adding to her confusion.

"You found me in time, my – Gray. I'm really ok." He nodded, and they ell into silence. After another hour, Juvia felt a weight on her shoulder. Gray had fallen asleep again, his head resting on her. She stared down at him, frozen, as he shifted, laying across the seat with his head in her lap, his nose pressed against her stomach. He was so peaceful in sleep. SO relaxed. His body radiated even more of a chill. She stroked his hair, sinking her fingers into the softness. He made a soft, pleased sound in his throat and curled even more into her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She smiled softly and relaxed into the seat, watching the country whip by out the window.

* * *

When Gray awoke, it wasn't from a creepy voice, and it wasn't from some horrifying nightmare. In fact, he was so relaxed, he noticed, that he hadn't taken off his clothes—even his shirt. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was a dark blue fabric directly in front of his face. His eyes moved up and paused as he saw directly above his head, barely brushing he side of his face, Juvia's breasts. She had fallen asleep as well, leaning over him. He tried to calm himself down, blushing deeply. His shirt seemed suddenly itchy and hot, like he had been laying in the grass in the sun and had chiggers crawling on him. But he couldn't move. No, moving would wake Juvia up, and she was smiling in her sleep, dreaming of something pleasant. How could he break that peace? His mind and body rebelled at the thought of it.

So he stayed where he was, trying not to look up. He stayed, and he thought. So many conflicting feelings had been filling him lately.

No, that was a lie.

They weren't conflicting feelings, just feelings he didn't want to recognize. Feelings he couldn't afford to recognize.

How could he? Everyone he had ever cared for…they were gone now. Dead or imprisoned or traumatized beyond recognition. Look what had happened to his dad, to Ur, to Ultear, to Lyon—all gone. And, even if he couldn't admit it to anyone else, he cared too much about Juvia, too much by far, to even imagine losing her in the same way. There, that was it. He _cared_. Of course he cared. How could he not? Juvia was a member of Fairy Tail, and even before that, she was a strong woman, so full of emotion, so full of a sadness and a loneliness that he recognized as kin to his own. How could he possibly ignore that? If he hadn't found Fairy Tail when he did, who's to say that he wouldn't have ended up exactly where she did?

It was some great cosmic tease: this beautiful, strong, caring, _perfect_ woman right there in his reach and he couldn't let himself get too close. Like the gods were lining him up to take another massive hit, and he didn't think he would survive it this time; if Juvia followed the way of the others he'd let into his heart, it would be too much to bear.

Gray couldn't remember when his feelings had grown that much, when he realized how dear she was to him. It didn't matter now. As long as she never knew, and as long as he could stop _hurting_ her every time she got near him. He just needed…he needed to make sure to cement their relationship as purely platonic. He was a good liar; he could pull it off.

The train whistle blew, and people began gathering their belongings from the overhead. Gray closed his eyes quickly as he felt Juvia stirring awake at the sound, then yawned and stretched, pretending to just wake up.

"Oh! Gray, darling!" She squeaked, jumping in her seat and straightening.

Gray tried to ignore her breasts bouncing above him as he turned and sat up, stretching. "Sorry, Juve, must have fallen asleep." He stood and grabbed their bags, easily tossing both over his shoulder and holding his free hand out to her. "Come on, let's go get checked in." He saw the light in her eyes, the smile burning on her face, and hid his reaction. _Perfect. Way to show her you _don't _care_, _idiot_, he scolded himself. He let her lead the way into the city, towards their lodgings for the night, mentally bracing himself for the next few days.

* * *

**_Author's note: Welcome, friends! I am so sorry I've been MIA for so long. Life, you know. It never stops trying to thwart you at every turn. Buuuuuuuut…drumroll please…I'm back! Like, back, back. Like, actually back. Like, I will be regularly posting back. Life is calming, and I have more free-time than ever, and my health is back to it's wonderful homeostatic existence. _**

**_So, as promised, here is the first chapter of the first spin-off from my Iron Lace series: Out of the blue. It begins on the same day that Iron Lace does, and will continue as the series does. The next two (?) chapters should be spoiler-free, but if you want to be sure you don't miss any big elements of the story, check out Iron Lace and Iron Script. _**

**_But, above all, _ENJOY_. Why do you think I write this? It's a little for me, but it's mostly for all you lovelies out there who also can't get enough of our favorite characters and couples. And, your favorites, follows, and reviews are what keep the words flowing, so, please, let me know what you think. _**

**_Until next time, my pretties!_**


	2. Preparations

Chapter Two | Preparations

* * *

Their plan was simple. Check in to their room in Cross Station, scope out the townspeople for information, then meet with the client the next day before heading out towards the farming village.

_Nothing is that simple,_ Gray thought to himself as he carried their bags up the three flights of stairs to their suite. Cross Station was a large city, and the hotel the client was putting them up in was classy. There was a bar downstairs, and an open pool and hot tub, and a gym with a sauna. He could get used to a place like this. And the _room_. There was a bedroom closed off, with two beds, a huge bathroom, a kitchenette and dining table, and a lounge area with a couch, a chair, a table, and a lacrima-tv. The fourth-story view overlooked downtown.

"Isn't this amazing!" Juvia said excitedly as she took it all in, eyes shimmering with wonder. And suddenly the room didn't look quite so beautiful, compared to her. He grunted in response, bringing their bags into the bedroom. Juvia ruffled through hers for a minute, coming up with a bikini and moving to the changing screen in the corner. Gray fell into the incredibly soft bed with a sigh. "So I was thinking, we could hit up the bar, and then the pool. All of the amenities here are open to the public, according to the brochure. Then we could go into the downtown area to find something for dinner?" Gray looked towards where she was changing and froze. The screen hid her from view. But what she had failed to notice was the mirror stationed perfectly to catch her every move, reflecting it so that he could see it from the bed. Her dress came up and draped over the top of the screen, and Gray's mouth went dry.

_Fuck, why had he said yes? _He felt a chill radiating from him, pulsing, the cold burning into him, swirling in his stomach. He couldn't look away. And then…_fuck_…his hands curled into tight fists and his mouth fell open, eyes glued on her reflection as she closed her eyes and stretched, every inch of her pale, supple form on display for him. He dry-swallowed a couple of times, feeling other parts of his body tightening as well, but he couldn't make himself look away. He could see every curve, every dip. He could see her mouth open in a small moan as she stretched her spine. He was mesmerized as she bent to slide on her bikini bottoms, and lost as she adjusted her top, making sure her cleavage was situated. He snapped back to himself as she gathered her clothes to move out from behind the screen, realizing his shorts did nothing to hide his arousal.

"Does that sound okay—Gray?" Juvia asked, stopping confused as she realized he was no longer in the room.

"Sounds great, Juve," came his strangled reply from behind the closed bathroom door. "I'm just, uh, I just need a shower to freshen up. I'll meet you in the bar in a few minutes."

Juvia frowned. He was acting so strange. Was he still angry with her? And why was he angry in the first place? "Alright. Don't take too long. Remember, the longer it take for us to take this thing down, the more people could get hurt." And with that cheerful addition, she left the room, and Gray sighed, sinking to sit on the floor against the bathroom door.

_Platonic. She's your friend. She can't be more,_ he said to himself, as he stripped, turning on the shower. The lower half of his body was in full disagreement, but he repeated the mantra. Maybe if he said it enough times it would be true. But all he could picture was her, the sunlight filtering through curtains, stretched out, picturing her stretching like that on his bed, mouth open in that small ecstasy.

* * *

Juvia, meanwhile, had made her way downstairs. She had slipped on a hoodie dress as a cover up, thrown on a pair of wedge sandals, and let her hair down. She hadn't cut it since joining the guild, and it had grown long, to the small of her back, falling in thick curls. She knew she looked amazing; she worked very hard to look like she did. And, she hoped that people wouldn't think to deep about her questioning them if she was beautiful. The dress was just long enough to cover her guild mark. Though, they would see as soon as she got in the pool.

"Gin and tonic, please," she said with a smile. The bartender winked at her as he made her drink.

"Strong drink for a little lady like you," Came a voice over her shoulder. It oozed towards her, creeping over her skin. She hid her revulsion with a grin and innocent doe eyes as she turned to see his eyes raking her body up and down.

"I like my drinks like I like my men," she answered coyly. She eyed him back, but he wasn't really anything to look at. He might have been handsome once, but he was old enough to be her father – or her handsy uncle – and he was leering at her like she was meat on a stick, which was enough to kill any good looks he might have had in her mind. She sipped from her glass, feeling the alcohol tingle on her tongue. In truth, she did like her drinks strong, but that was because her water body did something to her alcohol tolerance, shooting it through the roof. She could go shot for shot with Cana if she wanted to; she just didn't want anyone else to know that.

"Then I guess it's your lucky day, little miss," he replied, eating her fake interest up.

"Is it, now. And here I was thinking it was my unlucky day." She pouted, putting all the charm she could into her voice. "I was supposed to go visit my sister this week, in the farming village just south of here, Pillet? But I heard there's some kind of monster terrorizing people down there."

He nodded solemnly. "I heard the same. I'd stay away if I were you. That thing's supposed to be 10 feet tall, with razor-sharp claws, and three rows of teeth. It's been going after travelers as well as villagers and livestock, going for the weakest of the pack – the pretty young girls seem to be it's favorite prey." He threw an arm over her shoulder. He reeked of chewing tobacco and cheap bear and sweat, and she wrinkled her nose. "Just stay here with ole' Judd, and you'll be fine, dearie."

"So sorry I'm late, darling," Juvia felt a wave of relief at Gray's voice from behind her. She ducked out from 'Ole' Judd's' arm. Gray wrapped an arm around her waist and pecked her on the cheek, making her freeze into a blushing statue. "I was just putting our things away in the room. Who's your new friend?"

Juvia didn't answer, but she didn't need to. Gray glared at the man with a clear 'back off my girl,' warning, and he took the cue with grace. "It was good chattin' with you, little lady, but my friend's are waiting for me over there."

"Did you learn anything, yet?" Gray asked, hackles lowering as he nodded to the bartender, who slid him another gin and tonic.

Juvia shook herself free of the shock of his tiny kiss. It was just for show, to help her out of an awkward situation. It meant nothing. "Um, not really. But he didn't know much. A bunch of tall tales. Apparently the creature is a 10-foot tall Edward Scissor Hands with a shark's mouth and a penchant for "pretty young things,"" She rolled her eyes as sipped at her drink.

Gray's finger twitched at the 'pretty young things,' bit, but that was the only outward reaction for the annoyance that man had incited in him. His hair was still damp, and he had thrown on a sweatshirt over his swimming trunks. He flagged down the bartender again. This time, when he game back with another drink for Juvia, Gray stopped him. "Hey, we're in town on a bit of business. We need some more information on whatever's been causing trouble south of the city. Do you know anything?"

The man shrugged. "I mean, I've heard stories. But this is a bar. Everyone's telling stories. There's a guy that usually comes in from Pillet every Saturday night, after the market closes. He should be here in a couple of hours, and he'll definitely know more."

"Thanks," Gray payed for the drinks, and threw in a few extra Jewel as a tip.

"That was easy," Juvia said with a bit of surprise, cradling her glass. "Oh and thank you for the save, by the way." She gestured back to the guy from before.

"No problem. You looked like you were uncomfortable." She nodded. "You know, you don't have to keep talking to a guy if you're in a situation like that."

"I know, I was just trying to get information." She shuffled her feet.

"And the guy on the train?"

"I didn't want to seem rude?" She answered. He eyed her hard, and she sighed. "Fine, I just…haven't had the best experience with telling guys 'no,' okay?"

"No, it isn't okay. You are an s-class mage. You were once one of the most wanted dark-guild mages in the country." She flinched. "No, embrace it. You aren't that girl anymore. The Rain Woman is gone. But you are still every bit as strong as you used to be. And if you want someone to back off, tell them to back off. And if they don't? _Make_ them." Gray's words were firm, and he held her gaze, trying to make her understand that he meant every bit of it.

Juvia felt warmth blossoming in her chest, and her cheeks flushed. "Gray, I-you're right. Thank you. Sometimes I just need to hear it."

"And look, I know you can take care of yourself. But if you ever need my help with something, or someone, you can come to me. I can tell…" he paused. "I can tell you've been hurt before. And I refuse to let it happen again."

Juvia's eyes widened. She didn't know how he'd been able to see that. She'd never told anyone, except Master Jose, the first time it had happened, and he'd just told her to deal with it. She thought that was the usual response. But maybe it was just another part of being in a dark guild. "You're—you're being really nice to me, Gray," she said quietly.

Gray looked taken aback, and she could swear she saw a blush on his cheeks before he pushed off the bar. "You're my guild-mate, and my partner, for this mission at least. And my friend. Why wouldn't I be nice to you?"

"I never thought you liked me much."

That made Gray freeze in his tracks, giving her a bewildered look. "Never liked—What on Earthland would give you—" he was speechless. "Look, Juve. I'm an ice-mage. I was raised as an ice-mage. I have actual ice in my soul. So, I tend to come off a little cold, but don't think for one second that I don't value your friendship."

"Gray…" she whispered, her eyes stinging.

"Come on," he grumbled, grabbing her hand. "Let's go for a swim."

Juvia followed him out into the crowded pool area. They picked a pair of lounge chairs next to each other and laid their towels across them. Juvia pulled her hoodie dress over her head, not seeing Gray's eyes locked on her skin, on her breasts bouncing free of the dress. He quickly pulled his own shirt over his head as she shook her hair free. A few people were watching, and whispering, as their guild marks came into view. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ole' Judd's mouth flopping open as he took in the marks, and smirked. _Little lady,_ he thought with a huff. _If only he knew how powerful she really was._

Almost as one entity, the both stepped to the side of the pool and arched into perfect dives, slicing through the water. Juvia came up laughing, floating on her back. Gray pulled back against the wall, the water level sitting just below his nose, and watched her. Her eyes were closed as she took in the sunlight, completely care-free. People played and swam and splashed around her, but she was at ease. She kept herself up with deep inhales and short exhales, and he watched her chest move with them. He was so entranced by her he didn't notice the chill he had created, until someone splashed him in the face.

"Come on, man!" A teenage boy said. "We're trying to swim, here!" Gray spluttered and looked down to see bits of ice floating in the water around him, and a large circle of empty water, the occupants having fled the cold.

"Sorry, didn't realize," he grumbled as he pulled himself up and out of the pool, moving to lay back on his chair. He closed his eyes, ignoring everyone and everything else. The sun was beating down on him. The water on his skin dried quickly. He knew he should be burning up, but no warmth reached him. It was the same as always. He hadn't been warm in years. Not since…well, maybe not since his father died. Like he told Juvia, the ice that fueled his magic was in his soul – literally. Nothing could melt that.

Juvia's face popped into his head. Her smile when she thought he wasn't looking, the hope in her eyes when he'd agreed to the mission. Her hair moving as she ducked behind a building, or a chair, or a bar or a tree or whatever happened to be nearby, so that he wouldn't see her. And it was like, the chill became so cold it burned, tingling through his body. He smiled, his arms propping up his head.

Juvia had seen what happened, and had watched Gray leave the water. She worried that, maybe, he resented not being able to enjoy the pool like everyone else, but then she saw him relax. The sunlight glinted off the stray water droplets on his skin, and he pulled his arms up under his head, and his muscles stood out on his chest, stomach, biceps. And then he smiled, and she was put at ease. He was always so tense, so serious. It was one of the things she loved about him. Sure, he laughed and smiled with the guild, and he fought with Natsu and the others like crazy. He seemed so at home there. But when they turned away, he was so…sad. Lonely. Broken. But, for some reason, he was alright with that. He didn't mind the chips in his façade, as long as the façade made others happy. He was so selfless. And he knew that he didn't come on this mission with her because he wanted to, but because she wanted to. That was okay, because she got to spend time with him. But the longer they were together like this, the more she had to wonder. He was acting so strange. And being so nice. Something else was happening here, and she didn't know what.

"Hey, Juvia," Gray called to her, breaking her out of her trance-like state. She was still floating in the water, letting it lull her to sleep. She stood in the water, looking up at him curiously. "I'm going upstairs to change. Since we're going to talk to that guy at the bar, we might as well eat dinner here at the hotel."

"Oh, right!" She said. She had completely forgotten about that. "I'm coming." She waded to the ladder and left the water. A few pairs of eyes followed her progress, unbeknownst to her, Gray's among them. She patted herself down with the towel, fluffing her hair, and pulled her dress back on. Gray flipped up the hood as he started walking inside, and she gripped the sides of the fabric, smiling after him.


	3. Debriefing

**Chapter Three | Debriefing**

* * *

Gray…was in trouble. Serious trouble. His eyes were trying to figure out where to look. He knew where he wanted to look…

While he showered the chlorine off, Juvia had been busy making herself gorgeous for dinner. She wore a deep blue dress with ¾ sleeves and a deep-v in front and back. It clung to her stomach and fell off her hips with a few uneven scalloped layers so that the right side of the skirt fell to her knees, and the left side fell to just above her guild mark on her thigh. She completed the lok with silver flats, a silver clutch, and a delicate silver chain around her neck, with her hair half-up to keep it out of her face, the rest flowing down her back. Gray had been frozen solid for almost a full minute when he'd walked out of the bathroom in his boxers, toweling off his hair. She looked so…amazing. The sleeves clung to her arms, leaving no illusion to their slim strength, and the skirt showed off her toned thigh and perfect calves, her flawless skin.

He wanted to look at Juvia, period. He didn't care about the fancy hotel restaurant, or the club singer on stage, or the amazing food. He didn't care. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and no perfectly-cooked steak was going to change that.

Gray had dressed for the occasion as well, in a suit jacket and silver button-up shirt, with black trousers and dress shoes, his hair a bit neater than usual. He had drawn the line at a tie though, thankfully. With all of the looks the pair were getting, it was difficult for him to keep his clothes on already; the tie would have just made the urge stronger.

"He'll be here," Gray broke in to Juvia's babbling as she stopped to take a breath. "Like you said, you left a message with the bartender. We're paying for his dinner. He'll be here."

She seemed to relax a bit at his words. "And do you think he'll know who to look for?"

Gray let out a quiet laugh. "Trust me, he'll find us." _You'll catch his eye immediately,_ he finished in his head, biting his tongue so he wouldn't say it out loud. _Totally platonic._

Despite his words, they waited a half-hour with no sign of him, sipping on water and red wine and munching on the warm table bread. Juvia had finished talking and was glancing towards the entrance of the restaurant nervously. Gray was fidgeting as well, having taken his jacket off and rolled up his sleeves. He began sketching a design on the table with a fingernail, ice trailing where he touched, like hoarfrost on a fall morning. He didn't know what it was at first, just an absent-minded sketch, something to occupy his mind. But as it took shape, he took on a nostalgic smile.

"What is that?" Juvia asked, leaning over the design. "It looks familiar."

Gray finished, drawing his hand back to let his palm hover over it. Focusing on it, he raised his hand a few inches, and the sketch became three-dimensional. Instead of an aerial view of a city, the buildings and trees and people began to take form. The signs even had names, and the leaves were suspended falling from the trees. Juvia smiled with delight and leaned in, eyeing it closer. She reached out to touch it, finding it solid ice.

"This is where we went for my first official job with the guild," Gray said. He pointed to a trio of figures. "There I am, with Erza and Natsu. Erza wasn't really on the mission with us; she was there in case things got out of hand or too dangerous for a twelve-year-old to handle. Natsu was on his first mission, too, nearby. So the three of us spent nearly a month in this town together."

"I know this place," Juvia mused. Her eyes were moving through the streets with a growing familiarity, her smile falling. "Twelve…so that would have been… 8 years ago? Or 15, or whatever?"

"Yeah, thereabouts." He only then seemed to notice her growing distress. "Everything alright, Juvia?"

"That's Corona City," she said, sitting back in her chair. "That's where Juvia…that's where they found me."

"Found you?" Gray asked.

Juvia had grown pale. "That's where I ended up. Eight years ago. I just wandered into town, lost and dirty and hurt."

Gray banished the frozen image, a couple of snowflakes drifting away from the table, as he reached out, automatically taking her hand to comfort her. It startled Juvia out of her memories, and she looked down to where his cold was seeping into her hand.

"So, you two must be the ones asking after Pillet's little problem." A voice caught them both off-guard, and they jumped, looking up to see a man with red hair shot through with white, wearing dusty traveling clothes.

"Oh, yes, please, sit," Juvia said, recovering. She smiled at him and waved at the chair. "We were just about to order. You're right on time."

He harrumphed and blushed at her attention, plopping down in the chair. Gray shook off the vestiges of the nostalgia and leaned back in his chair and catching the eye of their waitress with a nod. "So yer wizards." The man stated, pointing to where a bit of frost still clung to the tablecloth. "Good, we needed a few 'a them. This thing's gotta be stopped."

"Fairy Tail," Gray added. "We were hired to do just that. We wanted some information first, though, so we're not walking in blind."

The man barked a laugh as the waitress appeared with more water, wine, and three salads. "Fairy Tail, eh? Heard they was finally makin' somethin' 'a themselves again." He drank the water greedily and dug into the salad. "Alright, so what d'ya wanna know?"

"Do you know what kind of creature we're dealing with?" Juvia asked.

He shook his head. "Nothin' I've seen before. We get the occasional beast 'round here like everyone else. This is somethin' different, though. It's huge, covered in dark fur. It's claws could cut through solid steel like butter. Cut my poor Darla clean in half – by _accident_!" He gestured with his fork for emphasis.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Juvia answered. "Was Darla your wife?"

He laughed again. "No, Darla's my plow-horse. Though, she probably treated me better'n my wife."

Gray rolled his eyes. "By accident? So it was after something else?"

"I guess. Darla was in its way. It left with two of the girls from town in it's other hand." His face fell.

"It took the girls? What else has it taken intentionally?" Gray leaned forward, thinking. The waitress arrived with their main course, a hearty steak with loaded mashed potatoes and country-style green beans.

The farmer licked his lips as he tucked into it, taking a few bites before answering. "It took another of Pillet's girls, and a few 'a the travelers on the road. Took a couple 'a cows live, a cart full 'a chickens George was goin' to sell at the market."

Gray's eyes furrowed. "Live? A hunting animal wouldn't take them alive. And a cart?" He met Juvia's eyes, a thought passing between them. _This is no mere beast_. "Do you know where it lives?" He changed the subject.

The man shook his head. "A couple people tried to track the thing, but we found 'em tore up outside town the next day."

Juvia took up the thread of conversation. "When did the attacks first start?"

"Oh, 'bout three months ago?"

"Did anything else happen around that same time, or maybe a bit before?" Gray nodded in agreement with her question.

The man seemed to think for a minute, chewing on his steak. "Only thing I can think is the Hunt."

The wizards paused. "The hunt?" Juvia asked sweetly.

The farmer shrugged. "It's somethin' the village does every few years, at the end 'a summer. It's a rite 'a passage. The boys go into the forest for a month. If they survive and bring back pelts, they become men."

"If the survive?" Gray asked, not liking where his mind was taking this information.

He shrugged again, looking down at the plate. "It's dangerous. Sometimes boys never come back. Sometimes we find their bodies in a ravine or torn up by wolves."

"Did anyone not come back from the last Hunt?" Juvia asked, obviously following Gray's same though trail.

He grunted. "Aye. Willem. He was 15. Most 'a us thought he was too young to go, but his dad kept pushin' us to let 'im."

Juvia swallowed and sat back with her hands in her lap. "Did you find Willem's body?"

The farmer shook his head. "We looked for it, too. His father, Lancer, kept makin' storms for us, so we sent parties out to look. We found a shelter he must'a used, and some large tracks and black fur. We checked Lancer's hunting cabin. We went all the way out to the river – nothin'."

Juvia took a piece of paper and a pen out of her purse. "Could you possibly draw us a map of those locations? If he was the creature's first victim, maybe retracing his steps could give us a clue as to where to look." The man nodded again and pushed his scraped-clean plate away, sketching quickly. He marked the village, the river to the west, and blocked out the forest. He added a couple of landmarks – a large rock shaped like a chicken, an old oak surrounded by pines, a creek that dropped off a small cliff, and the cave beneath it. Then he added the cabin, the camp, and a line following Willem's trail to the river, explaining as he went.

"Are you headed back to Pillet tonight, or in the morning?" Gray asked.

"Tonight, soon as we're done here. I sold what I came to, so there's no reason to stay," he answered.

Gray and Juvia locked eyes for a second before nodding together. "Could you wait an hour, and let us ride with you? We'd like to get started right away, but we need to grab some things."

"'Course. You can ride in the back 'a the cart. I'll wait for ya at the west edge 'a town, on the main road."

"Thank you, Mr…?" Juvia trailed off, realizing they never got his name.

"Call me Tock, pretty lady," he said as they all stood, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles. Juvia blushed. "Short for Pretock Lee Grude III."

"Alright. We will see you in an hour, Mr. Tock." Juvia withdrew her hand and began walking towards the exit. Gray payed the bill and added a few Jewel for a tip before following her upstairs.

Juvia grabbed her suitcase and ducked behind the changing screen. Gray made sure to look away from the mirror this time so that he wouldn't be distracted. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Gray nodded, stripping off his suit and trading it out for a pair of black cargo pants and a loose black t-shirt, lacing up a pair of hiking boots. "Yeah, this thing's taking women and live animals. It's intelligent. It's sentient. And I think you're right about it being connected to this Willem kid."

"Big picture, though? Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" She asked, slipping into her own cargo pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt and boots, pulling her hair up into a high ponytail.

Gray sighed. "I don't think we should bring it up in front of anyone from the village…but yeah. It's rare, especially this far west. But not impossible, especially for someplace as isolated as the woods outside of Pillet.

Juvia stepped out, moving to her bed and dumping the suitcase. She grabbed a backpack and a few essential clothes, and the camping gear they'd brought, knowing they would wind up in the woods eventually. Gray was doing the same with his own pack. They had the room rented for a week. They could leave their things there that long, at least, and only take what they needed. "Possession shape-shifting is a serious issue. If the creature is Willem, we will have to separate him from what's possessing him, if possible, and then defeat it."

"That's if Willem wants to be separated from it," Gray added, tossing Juvia her brush as he grabbed their deodorant from the bathroom counter. They zipped their packs and double-checked the room for anything they'd forgotten. Gray tucked the communication lacrimae into their packs, and they hit the lights before heading out. "This mission just got a bit more complicated.


End file.
